Reports from the Trial against "National Socialist Underground" Accused from the Perspective of the Private Accessory Prosecution

Monthly Archives: June 2017

The Wohlleben defense, of all people, tries to depoliticize the racist murders

Today the Wohlleben defense made further comments on their motion to hear a psychiatric expert witness concerning Mundlos and Böhnhardt. The aim of that motion, according to counsel Klemke, was to prove that the Böhnhardt’s and Mundlos’ motive for the murder had not been “xenophobia”, but rather a “lust to kill”, which was based in the two men’s antisocial personality disorder and which thus could not be recognized by third persons. In the NSU videos, Böhnhardt and Mundlos had then tried, according to Klemke, to hide that motivation by claiming to have acted out of “xenophobia”.

More challenges for alleged bias. And: no trial tomorrow or next week.

The trial could not continue with the closing statements of victims and their counsel today since the judges tasked with deciding on the various defense challenges against several judges for alleged bias had not been able to reach decisions on all challenges.

However, the presiding judge had to hold a trial session today as the trial may only be interrupted for up to three weeks. He therefor ordered that the trial be continued today in order for the court to inform the accused of potential changes in the legal qualification of the alleged facts and similar issues. Such information was then in fact provided by the court, it is in line with the motions brought by the prosecution in its closing statement and is of no particular significance here.